curtains.

the curtains drew open.
two women, dressed in red, did the tango with invisible partners. they came together, in sync... and then drew away, alone.
they danced, the music faded, and they danced on.
the only sounds left were that of their light feet and their heavy breathing...
until the lights dimmed, and the applause drowned out the sound of the curtains drawing shut.

the curtains drew open.
the same two women, this time dressed in black, stood side by side in the glare of a harsh spotlight.
they stared out at us with blank eyes, their faces revealing nothing.
the music came on, eerie, haunting... their bodies swayed and rolled, listlessly, lifelessly...
and then they froze, as if in fear.
they changed their poses, abruptly, and then again, and again.
one spun out of control, the other caught her in a tight hug.
the music faded, the lights dimmed, and the applause drowned out the sound of the curtains drawing shut.

the curtains drew open.
two new women, dressed in blue, with smiles on their faces.
they pranced around, skipped around... happy happy.
point?
the music faded, the lights dimmed, and the applause drowned out the sound of the curtains drawing shut.

the curtains drew open.
about nine of them stood in a row, in disheveled school-girl outfits and messy hair.
they stared out at us - defiant, mocking.
they made different hand movements, seemingly random at first... but actually the same repetitive movements out of sync.
they moved forward together, step by step.
and then one of them broke ranks and ran at full speed from one end of the stage to the other
and then fell back in line, as if nothing happened.
soon people were running at random, though of course it was choreographed and rehearsed.
and then chaos.
they were running, jumping on each other, falling, rolling over each other, whispering in each others' ears...
and they they fell back in line, making the hand movements out of sync, staring out at us - defiant, mocking...
the music faded, the lights dimmed, and the applause drowned out the sound of the curtains drawing shut.